Microsoft demo their Project xCloud game streaming

Microsoft are making a big bet on the future of gaming technology with Project xCloud, an upcoming game streaming service that they’ve developed from scratch. In last night’s Inside Xbox stream they went into detail about what it means and demoed the technology. Public trials for the system will be starting some time this year.

Now game streaming is far from a new concept – Sony’s PS Now has been running for half a decade at this point – but Microsoft into the very bare basics of what it means for their platform and how it works.

They stress that this does not mean they’re exiting the console hardware business, but that this is an additive set up that lets you take your gaming on the go, connecting an Xbox controller via bluetooth to a phone with a steady Wi-Fi connection and play on the go. The system will also support PC and any platform they can get the software onto – rumours are that they’d like to get it onto Nintendo Switch. They’ll be leveraging Microsoft servers in 54 Azure regions to provide this to as much of the world as possible.

Now, presenter Julia Hardy does say it’s going to change her commutes on the London Underground. It won’t. Wi-Fi on the underground is restricted to stations only and 4G signals are not piped into the tunnels. So no… that won’t work. But it does look pretty solid.

5 Comments

She’s not really accelerating, though. Watch the speedometer, it’s just hovering around 65-80 because she’s pumping the right trigger in a game all about going ridiculously fast. The left stick flicks match the slight tweaks of steering and turns quite well as well.

She’s trying not to crash while also listening and hit certain talking points.

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